Posts by Billy the Ex-Bethelite

91

one reason for the dumbing down of the org

by Magnum in

a lot of us have said that theres been a dumbing down in jw land.

its just not like it used to be especially a few decades ago.

it seems to me that if jw are right and the end of the world is near, the spiritual food should get tastier and more nourishing as time goes on, but it's getting more and more bland and less nourishing.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

"The Daniel book and the two-volume Isaiah's Prophecy books seemed to close out the era of studying the "deeper things"."

donuthole and Magnum reminded me of comments I heard when I was in bethel. The Daniel book was fairly well received, but there was a lot of disappointment that no predictions for the future were made for things like King of the North. It was more of a historical review rather than something motivating. And for the two Isaiah books, there were a lot of complaints from publishers and book study conductors. These things were so painfully slow, boring, and repetitious that I know our congregation saw new lows in attendance for CBS.

And as noted, the "deeper" WT studies tended to require "new light". I think it was the last WT I ever conducted that was about several of Jesus illustrations. The lessons required explaining what WT used to teach and then the nulite that they should believe now. One of them was the illustration about the leaven in the loaf not meaning christendom anymore, but now the "invisible growth" in the JWs. Something like that. It was all rather confusing. The writing was haphazard and the sheeples wouldn't remember a word of it unless they had the WT right in front of their faces.

In case anyone hasn't seen these, it's a pretty accurate example of the "dumbing down" of the meetings:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHcdCYf0Xo0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeidZmxHLiY

8

JW presence

by Laika in

jw
friends

the underground station i live next to in london is usually relatively quiet, however it is also the local station closest to the wimbledon tennis courts, so for about 2 weeks a year it really comes to life, starting today.

(yay wimbledon!

i saw no jws last year, but they seemed to have cottoned on to this opportunity and were out in force today.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

"I've seen everything from evangelicals to muslims and even scientologists outside. JWs have caught up to this as well and are now outside every day!"

The last time I saw JWs with a litteratrash cart, they were surrounded by other religious wackos. They blended in like just another flavor of crazy.

91

one reason for the dumbing down of the org

by Magnum in

a lot of us have said that theres been a dumbing down in jw land.

its just not like it used to be especially a few decades ago.

it seems to me that if jw are right and the end of the world is near, the spiritual food should get tastier and more nourishing as time goes on, but it's getting more and more bland and less nourishing.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

I think the current leadership is of the thinking:

"dumbing down" = "organizational growth"

The books and articles used to be much more complex and complicated when there were fewer JWs. As all this was "simplified" the organization grew and translation becomes much simpler. So I expect the dumbing down to continue. I wouldn't be surprised if the future WT "study edition" drifts down in content and wording to what is currently the "simplified edition." The future "simplified edition" will probably just be pictures. Not only can WT discourage college, they can tell the baptized 10 year-olds that they don't need high school.

24

Loyalty to Org Over Everything Else Part 2

by startingover13 in

a few months ago i posted about the dilemna i was facing with my girlfriend and getting reinstated.

a little under a year ago, both of us were disfellowshipped for sexual immorality.

while it was difficult, we promised to stick together through it, work our way toward marraige, and eventually return.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

cha ching: "For as much as people think that there is "only one person" that is your ideal match, that just could not be true!"

That line gave me an instant flashback to a comment by Losch during morning worship years ago. As I recall, the subject he was into was that bethel brothers shouldn't get involved with less spiritual sisters. I think he used the line, "there are plenty more fish in the sea." So these brothers should move on to find someone suitably spiritual. The subject turned dark as he went into an example. He said something like, "You may think she's the one and only girl for you, but look around you at examples right here in the bethel family. There are brothers here who have lost their beloved wives to disease or accidents, but they go on to find new wives that they love just as much as the ones they lost."

Of course, there were plenty of mortified sisters in the family as they thought of such brothers that married younger, prettier wives and suddenly saw themselves and their marriages as greatly cheapened. Losch has an uncanny ability to open his mouth and have stupid $h!t come pouring out.

...now back to the subject at hand...

24

Loyalty to Org Over Everything Else Part 2

by startingover13 in

a few months ago i posted about the dilemna i was facing with my girlfriend and getting reinstated.

a little under a year ago, both of us were disfellowshipped for sexual immorality.

while it was difficult, we promised to stick together through it, work our way toward marraige, and eventually return.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

SO13, This has given you a perfect opportunity to see things how they really are.

"She said that she still loves me, and will be wait for me. "

That's the baited hook that would drag you back into the cult. She's made her choice. She has chosen slavery to a cult.

26

I have to admit this, and you're not going to like it

by stillin in

the society has improved their game.

i just got home from the regional assembly.

it was a well-choreographed, technically excellent affair.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

I was wondering what they'd done with the $800+ million that they got so far from selling all those Brooklyn properties.

"They had hookups to Rutherfordton NJ, where David Splayne was the GB guy on site. His talks were smooth, the brothers who did the IT stuff were up to the task, everything hummed along quite well."

Now we know where all that money has gone!

52

This new JW video is so stupid that it has to be a troll

by Pacopoolio in

jw
friends

recently, my mother, who had stopped talking to me because i was 'apostate,' started speaking to me again.. (note that i successfully faded as opposed to ever being disfellowshipped due to dodging every elder question with "i'm not sure, i'm still searching and trying to find the answers.").

the reason why?

at the international convention this year, they receieved a new video called something or other.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

"The story of this videos sounds eerily similar to a drama from 2 years ago. In fact, I'm 100% certain that this is the case. So is Watchtower making videos of previous dramas now?"

I think it was a live drama at the last DC I attended. I'm thinking it was more like 3 years ago. But that's the same plot. They've made several previous dramas into videos.

Crap like this is fine for strengthening the believers, but I don't think it makes a dent in the doubters. It sure motivated me to head for the nearest exit.

41

JW.ORG Logo Denied Trademark Status by United States Patent and Trademark Office

by jwleaks in

jw
friends

the jehovahs witnesses official web site logo incorporating jw.org has been refused registration by the united states patent and trademark office due to similarity to jw player.. section 2(d) refusal likelihood of confusionclass 42. for the reasons set forth below, the refusal under trademark act section 2(d) is now made final with respect to u.s. registration no(s).

this refusal is limited to the class 42 services in the application.. applicants mark is jw.org & design, for use with, inter alia, providing a web site that gives computer users the ability to download audio and video recordings, dvds, music, digital print publications, online publications, documents, forms and web pages all in the field of religion, in class 42. the cited mark is jw player, for use with downloadable computer software for playing, viewing and streaming audio and video files in class 09.. .

documents available to download at jw leaks.. http://jwleaks.org/2014/06/19/jw-org-logo-denied-trademark-status-in-the-united-states/.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

Evidently, Satan created the JWplayer logo in order to silence the tremendous witness given by the WT website.

69

G.B. TALK URGING CHILD BAPTISM!

by The Searcher in

the introduction & conclusion to this video is in german, but david splanes' words are loud and clear in english - get your kid baptized asap!.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h33pwdsuvlq&feature=youtu.be.

.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

There was a noticable lack of scriptures in his rant. And then he talks about Jonah? Was Jonah a 10 year-old kid?

And from his logic, if the parents study the Family Life brochure with their 8 year-old, does that mean it's time to trot them down the aisle to get married?

If they're going to baptize these kids before they're at an age where non-believers could look on and say, "That's an adult making an informed decision." How is the WT practice of baptizing pre-teens any different than other churches baptizing infants? It's not!

When my dad was called up before the draft board and he tried to use a minister exemption, he was asked, "How old were you when you were ordained as a minister." He had to reply, "14." So I was able to wait until I was 16. So now WT's policy is to ordain all these children ministers even younger and more uninformed than I was.

57

I have no Real Friends!

by stuckinarut2 in

jw
friends

i have come to a startling and sad realisation!.

i have no real friends!.

i have always been extremely active in every aspect of the org, since childhood.

Billy the Ex-Bethelite

I think I was prepared for the fact that my JW friends would no longer be a part of my life when I faded, because when I left bethel the hundreds of people that I used to be so close to just disappeared from my life. And for those that I thought we really had a close friendship after years together in bethel or in the congregation? In reality, it was a friendship of convenience. In both cases, when I really thought about the fact that none of them had reached out to me to keep in touch, I thought, "Do I want to reach out to them and try to keep in touch?" The answer came quickly, "Not really." There are billions of people in the world. I can make new and better friends.